Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-13

Dreading a scene, however, she took her seat
at the head Of the cot, and gave some direc-
lions for its arrangements.
Joes symptoms grew worse rapidly, for he
bent all his crafty energies To that end. Ref
uge in the hospital from the unpleasant con-
tingencies attending duty in the field was O
good thing, and it became superexcellent
when his condition made him the object OF
the care and sympathy of SO fine a young
lady as Miss Rachel Bond. This he felt was
something like compensation for all that he
had endured for the country, and he would
get as much of it as possible His mind
busted itself in recalling and initiating the
signs of suffering he had seen in others.
He breathed stertorously, groaned and
sighed immoderately, and even had little fits
of well fegned delirum, in which he babbled
of home and friends. and the war, and such
other things as had come within the limited
scope of his mental horizon.
Don't leave me, Miss Rachel-don't leave
me, he said, in one of the simulated par.
oxysms, clutching at the same time, with a
movement singlllarly well directed for de
lirious man, one of her delicate hands in
his great, coarse and not over clean fingers
She strove torelease her fingers quietly, but
at this Pancakes paroXysm became intense.
He chung the tighter to her, and llneaded her
fingers in a way that was almost maddening
Never in all her life had man presumed tc
take such familiarity with her But her
womans wit did not desert her. With her
disengaged hand she felt for and took out q
large pin that fastened bit of lace to her
throat, with the desperate intent to give her
tormentor sly stab that would change the
current of his thoughts.
Just at the moment of carrying this into
effect something caused her to look up, and
she saw DR.. Denslow standing before her,
with an amused look in his kindly, hazel eyes.
She desisted from her purpose and restored
the pin to its place, in obedience to sign
from him, which told her that he thoroughly
understood the case and had a more effective
way of dealing with it than the thrust of a
pin point
Pm very much afraid this is dangerous
case we have here, Miss Bond, he said in a
stage whisper, as if very anxious that the
patient should not overhear Eyes, very
dangerous CASE
Joe grew pale, released Rachels hand,
turned over ON his side and groaned.
do you really think so, doctoran said
Rachel, in the same tone.
Eyes, really It's as clear a case of de
gustibus non disputandum as / ever saw b
my life"
"Oh, Lordie, hey got all of thatin asked
Joe, as he sat bolt upright, with eyes starting.
1T is my unpleasant duty to tell you that
you certainly have" said the doctor, gravely.
AS plainly indicated as | ever saw it. Fur
Nth Hot
justitia ruat calum, with strong hints of the
presence of IN media tutissimus ibis -
"Great Scottl can ever get welll" groaned
poor joe Rachers strain was ON ner risibles,
and to make her face express only sympathy
and concern.
"And," continued the remorseless surgeon,
in a tone of the kindliest commiseration, sin
the absence of the least esprit de corps, and
dulce ct decorum est pro patria mort feeling
i'll you it is apparent that none of your mental
processes are going on properly, which de
ranges everything.
Cant be sent home to dies" whimpered
the wretched Joe.
Not in your present condition. ! notice, in
addition TO what | have told you, that your
heart is not right-its action is depraved, Sc
to speak" This with glan.e at Rachel,
which brought the crimson to that damsefs
cheek
aOh, doctor, please try TO do something for
me right off, before get any worse, pleaded
Joe, with the tears starting in his eyes.
Rachel took this opportunity to slip away
to where she could laugh unobserved. The
surgeons facial muscles were to well trained
to feel any strain. He continued in the same
tone Of gentle consideration:
Il have already ordered the preparations Of
some remedies. The steward will be here i'll
few minutes with the barber, who will
shave your head, that we may apply couple
Of fly blisters behind your ears. They are
also spreading a big mustard plaster in the
dispensary for you, which will cover your
whole breast and stomach. These, with a
strong dose Of castor oil, may bring you
around so that you will be able to go back to
duty in a short tine.n
Joe did not notice the unsheathed sarcasm
in the surgeons allusion to returning to duty.
He was too delighted with the chance of
escaping all the horrors enumerated to think
of aught else, and he even forgot to beg for
Rachel to come and sit beside his bedside, as
be had intended doing, until the blisters
began to remind him that they stuck closer
than brother. After that he devoted his
entire attention to them, as man is apt to.
A good-sized blister, made according to the
United States pharmacop9ia, has few equals
as a means of concentrating the attention.
When it takes a fair hold of its work it
leaves the gentleman whom it patronizes
little opportunity to think of anything else
than it and what it is doing. Everything
else is forgotten, that it may receive full con-
sideration. Then comes in an opportunity
for vigorous imagination. No one ever
Understands the work done by an active
blister, if it is upon himself. No one ever
grumbles that he is not getting his moneys
worth. 1t is the one monumental exception,
where men are willing TO accept and be salts
fed with fractional part of that which they
have bought and paid for.
So when the layer of fresh mustard that
covered the whole anterior surface Of Mr.
Pancakes torso began to take fair hold Of
its appointed work, that gentleman's thoughts
became strongly focused upon it, and they
succeeded each other as the minutes went by
something in this fashion:
First Ten Minutes-"I spect that this may
become rather unpleasant and bothersome,
but it will not be for long, and it'll really do
me much good"
Second Ten Minutes. 81 had no idea that
blisters felt just this way, but they never
really hurt anybody but women and children
men laugh at them"
Third Ten Minutes.-"The thing seems to
be hunting round for my tender spots, and
pokin' pins into EN-. begin to wish that it
was all over with"
Fourth Ten Minutes.-aIt begins to hurt
real bad. l wonder if it amt almost tine TO
take it OFF,
Fifth Ten Minutes. very devil seems
to be at the thing. 1t burns like as if sheet
of red hot iron was layin' there
Sixth Ten Minutes.-'I surely believe that
they've made terrible mistake about that
blister, and put in some awful thing that'll
kill me if it amt stopped. I'll swear it's not
only cat all the skin OF, but it's gone through
my ribs, an is gnawin' at my insidcs. Why
don't the doctor come round an see to ii!
Here, nurse, call the doctor, an have this
thing taken Off"
Nurse-No, its all right. The doctor left
orders that it was not to be disturbed for
some time yet I'll see to it when the proper
time comes. Pm watching the clock.
Seventh Ten Minutes.-"Great Jehosefat!
this's jest awful That blasted stuffs cooked
I